Health Care Reform Hinges on House Abortion Vote

House victory probably end of the road for Protect Life Act

(NEWSER) - The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ban women from using the health reform law’s subsidies to buy health care plans that cover abortions. The "Protect Life Act"—which passed 251-172 after a heated debate—would also allow hospitals to turn away women who need emergency care that includes an abortion, the Huffington Post reports. The bill's Republican backers say it is intended to ensure that no taxpayer money funds abortions. More»

They tried to dupe Republicans into adopting ultra-conservative budget

(NEWSER) - Democrats tried to pull a fast one today on Republicans on the House floor, reports Talking Points Memo . Before Paul Ryan's budget blueprint passed , a far more conservative offering from the Republican Study Committee came up for a vote, one that called for much deeper cuts in spending and taxes. It was expected to be routinely defeated, but Democrats began switching their votes from "no" to "present" to lower the threshold needed for passage. The ploy nearly succeeded, a result that would have rendered Ryan's plan dead in the water and saddled the GOP with a political disaster. More»

Both parties are 'incompetent and cowardly,' says Kristof

(NEWSER) - Both the Democrats and Republicans are acting like squabbling adolescents, slams Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times . "It’s unclear where the adults are, but they don’t seem to be in Washington," he says, adding "it’s painful how vapid the discourse is and how incompetent and cowardly our leaders have proved to be." Among his criticisms:

• The whole shutdown mess is because Democrats, afraid of GOP criticism ahead of midterm elections, didn't pass a budget last year. "So in gross dereliction of duty, the Democrats punted." Great.

Dana Milbank: Only he is standing up to Republican attacks on law

(NEWSER) - Republicans keep attacking health care reform, and with one loud exception, Democrats have been "passive to the point of wimpy" in defending it, writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post . That exception? "Brooklyn-born streetfighter" Anthony Weiner. "I don't represent the hide-under-the-desk wing of the Democratic Party," the New York congressman said yesterday, complaining that even Nancy Pelosi and President Obama hadn't done enough. "I believe we've got to lean into this fight." More»

Republicans need a net gain of 3 seats, and 5 Dem-held seats are toss-ups

(NEWSER) - Thanks in part to a rash of Democrats retiring from the Senate , things are looking pretty good for the Republicans in 2012. In the first edition of its 2012 race ratings, The Hill places five seats currently held by Democrats in the “toss-up” column—and Republicans only need a net gain of three seats to win control. Three of those toss-ups are due to retirements; the other two are Montana Sen. Jon Tester and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson. More»